


Not Jealous

by EllanaSan



Series: Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M, Peeta is soooo done, jealous Effie, oblivious Haymitch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-16
Updated: 2014-02-16
Packaged: 2018-01-12 16:42:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1192359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllanaSan/pseuds/EllanaSan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, Peeta saw more than he'd like to know. </p>
<p>Original Prompt : could you write one where some capitol woman is hitting on haymitch and effie gets very jealous and the whole team obviously notice it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Jealous

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm still taking prompts at ellanainthetardis on tumblr in case anyone is interrested. Thanks to Akachankami for the beta!

** Not Jealous **

Peeta hobbled after Effie, cursing District One Mayor’s house with its numerous staircases and meandering corridors. The place was such a labyrinth it took entirely too long to go from one specific room to another and his bad leg was protesting by duly aching. Katniss and he had been separated to conduct different interviews and he was anxious to see her again, afraid that what had transpired in Eleven would happen again there. He was loose to let her out of his sight those days. Haymitch was with her, though, since Effie had stayed with him, and she should technically be safe.

He was relieved when they saw her sitting on the ground, in front of the door to the living-room where her interview took place. She scrambled up before Effie could reprimand her. He felt her eyes assessing him, making sure he was okay. Clearly, she was as uneasy as he was about the whole thing.

“What are you doing here, Katniss?” Effie asked, frowning. “Where’s Haymitch?”

“In here.” Katniss nodded to the living-room. “She wanted to interview him too. Something about a complementary piece… ” She rolled her eyes and Peeta smiled at her in amusement. She wasn’t a people person.

“Well, she should have asked first.” Effie huffed. “This Aquilia… She thinks the world revolves around her. We will be off-schedule.”

She made a move towards the door but Katniss stepped in her way. “Haymitch said he didn’t want to be disturbed.”

Really _not_ a people person.

“Not to be disturbed?” Effie pursed her lips, obviously annoyed. “He will get the right not to be disturbed when he stops drinking himself into oblivion and starts helping me stay on schedule.”

“I think he liked her…” Katniss winced. “They kept looking at each other it was… really disturbing to watch. Anyway, you’re warned. I did my job.” And she stepped aside. “How did your interview go?” she asked him. Peeta gave a vague answer, more interested by what was happening behind the closed door. Effie seemed more angry than annoyed now and she nearly slammed the door open. He braced himself for something shocking – because he knew Haymitch, after all – but there was nothing to be shocked about, except for the fact that the Capitol journalist was sitting so close to their mentor she was practically in his lap. Blue hair, blue make-up and blue-dress… She was blinding to look at. Even Effie, with her bright pink wig and her purple dress, seemed colorless beside her.

“Aren’t you the one who always say you have to knock?” Haymitch growled. “What? Can’t you do anything without me?”

Effie tensed at that and, Peeta couldn’t help but notice, clenched her right fist.

“We will go without him.” he offered quickly to prevent an umpteenth quarrel between the two of them. “Katniss and I will be with you, Effie, we don’t actually need Haymitch, do we?”

Katniss shot him a puzzled look but he let it go unnoticed.

“No, Peeta, we definitely don’t.” Effie snapped, still staring angrily at the two on the couch. She turned around and stomped along the corridors, the clinking of her heels ringing out, forcing Peeta and Katniss to follow her at a faster pace than was comfortable. 

Dinner, after that, was a tense affair. The Mayor was unfriendly, as were the other guests, Peeta was caught between Katniss – who was clearly bored to death – and Effie – who didn’t talk because she was too busy glaring at Haymitch and Aquilia who were the only ones openly laughing and having a good time. He didn’t remember ever seeing Haymitch being so agreeable to someone, particularly someone from the Capitol.

“I think she looks very vulgar.” Peeta whispered to Effie when he couldn’t take it anymore. Effie wasn’t her cheerful self and it didn’t take a  genius to understand why.

“Oh, you can’t say that, Peeta. It’s no way for a well-mannered boy to talk about a stranger.” Effie protested, pushing her untouched food around her plate with her fork. “But strictly between us… She does, doesn’t she?”

“Absolutely.” He nodded and Effie smiled at him, obviously pleased by his answer.

He, on the other hand, was definitely _not_ pleased when, after dinner was over, Effie sent him to Haymitch and Aquilia.

“Effie says we’re leaving.” he said, feeling very ill-at-ease.

“In a minute.” Haymitch didn’t seem in a rush to leave his new friend.   

“Well…” Peeta sighed. “What she actually said was: we’re leaving with or without you but if you stay behind you’re on your own.”  

Aquilia laughed and looked to where Effie was standing, arms crossed, waiting for them. “Escorts used to be pretty…”

Haymitch frowned at that and motioned for Peeta to go first.

“What’s going on?” Katniss asked him, as soon as they were alone in the back of the car. “Effie seems…”

She shut up as soon as Effie got in, quickly followed by Haymitch. The silence was oppressing and Peeta was relieved when they finally reached the train station. It wasn’t that late, though, and they all lingered in the living-room cart. Usually, Effie would make a thorough commentary of the evening but that night she was quiet, Haymitch sat in his chair nursing his drink, Katniss was brooding on the couch and Peeta was deeply regretting not having gone to bed when he had the chance. He didn’t dare move, however, for fear of triggering a chain reaction.

“Pour me another drink, would you, sweetheart?”

Peeta tried to signal Katniss that itwould have been a _good_ _time_ to make their excuse, but Katniss clearly wasn’t getting the message. Like Haymitch, she startled when Effie slammed her notebook shut.

“Get it yourself.”

Now, Effie’s and Haymitch’s bickering wasn’t unusual in itself but there was bickering and outright fighting. This, he figured, wouldn’t end up in playful banter.

“What’s gotten your wig in a twist ?” Haymitch snapped, banging his glass against the coffee table. “You’ve been a bitch all evening.”

Katniss was looking at him now but Peeta was actively trying to will himself out of existence. There were things he _didn’t_ want to hear.

“How would you know?” Effie shot back coldly. It was worse than if she had shouted in a way.

Haymitch was scowling and it never bode well. “What’s this all about, Princess? You asked me to go easy on the wine, I went easy on the wine. One could think you would _thank_ _me_ for the effort.”

Effie eyes trailed on Katniss and Peeta and she held on whatever she was going to say. But her exasperation was written all over her face.

“Come on, Effie, spit it out already.” Haymitch taunted bitterly. “You know you want to. I’m not drunk enough for that crap.”

“Well if I had known you being sober would result in even more improper behavior than usual I probably would have funneled wined right into your throat.” she hissed. “You should be ashamed of yourself! And in front of the children too!”

Katniss lifted an eyebrow, not really happy to be called a child but Peeta put a hand on her arm to prevent her from saying anything.

“What did I do that didn’t meet your standard, _Princess_?” Haymitch stood up heavily and darted to the liquor cart. “Did I cut my meat wrong? Did I forget to profess my gratitude before beginning to eat?” He grabbed a bottle and threw the lid on the ground before taking a long mouthful. “It all went fine, what’s your damn problem?”

“My _problem_ is that not only did you steal Katniss’ thunder but you also behaved outrageously with that…” Effie closed her mouth abruptly, looking at them again, and Peeta had the distinct impression that she was about to be very vulgar and refraining for their sake.

“ _Slut_ is the word you’re looking for, I think.” Katniss piped out helpfully.

“Language, dear.” Effie clasped her hands on her knees, like a proper lady. “But, yes, _quite_.”

Haymitch blinked several times, his eyes traveling from a smirking Katniss to a glowering Effie in obvious confusion. And, of course… “Peeta, please, explain to me what’s going on because I think they both have gone crazy.”

Peeta wasn’t about to get involved in _that_ , whatever it was. He threw his hands in the air and refused to answer.

“Don’t bother him.” Effie said sternly, red with anger. “He was a perfect gentleman, tonight. _Unlike_ _you_. It’s a wonder you’re still alive. You were so obviously drowning in her cleavage I was afraid you would have a stroke.”

“Is this about Aquilia?” Haymitch asked in a flash of comprehension. “Is that your bloody problem? You aren’t _jealous_ , are you?”

Haymitch looked as if he kind of wanted to laugh, now. Peeta didn’t see anything funny in the situation, it was embarrassing more than anything. But there was no good way to get out of there now, so they were stuck in the room until the storm had blown over.

“Jealous?” Effie shrieked, her cheek flustered. “ _Jealous_? Jealous of what exactly? That _tramp_ or your _dreadful_ _manners_?”

“Can we go now?” Katniss whispered to him.

“You _are._ ” Haymitch teased her, laughing softly. “You are jealous of that halfwit.”

Effie squinted in anger and, really, Peeta thought, for someone so bent on always carrying a knife everywhere Haymitch should be more aware of the dangers around him. Effie may not be a tribute, a career or even a fighter but he would not have underestimate the damage she could do with the little notebook she was aggressively tapping against her knee in anger.

“I don’t care about Aquilia.” Effie said. “I care about how you behave in front of the children.”

“The children…” Haymitch scoffed. “… are _adults_ and they are going to bed. _Now_.”

Peeta and Katniss got to their feet, relieved, but Effie waved at them to sit down again – which they did, because Effie, right then, was deeply scary. Her face was unyielding, her eyes were shining with resentment and the notebook was beating more and more quickly against her leg.

“The _children_ don’t need to see you behave like a beast in heat.” she hissed. “This was improper behavior at its finest and Peeta doesn’t need that kind of example nor does Katniss.”

Haymitch took another swallow of wine and stared at her over his bottle. “This has _nothing_ to do with them.” He sounded calmer and more collected than Peeta expected. “Truth is, you are jealous because I paid attention to someone else and wasn’t at your beck and call all day.”

“First, you are _never_ at my beck and call.” Effie threw her notebook on the coffee table – for which Peeta was grateful because he _was_ convinced it could have been used as a weapon. “Secondly, this wasn’t _paying attention_ or we don’t have the same definition of the phrase.”

“We don’t have the same definition of a lot of things.” Haymitch rolled his eyes. “She knew things about the Districts, okay? She was feeding me information she didn’t even know she had. Nothing more. There, no need to be jealous.”

Effie studied him for several seconds and relaxed a little. Peeta finally breathed out, hoping the crisis was averted.

“I am not jealous, don’t be ridiculous.” she stated again. “Just concerned about the children.”

“You just tell yourself that, sweetheart.” Haymitch smirked. 

Katniss stood up and excused herself. Peeta followed because didn’t he always?

“Do you think they…” Katniss asked, later, when they were snuggled in bed. “No, forget I asked. I don’t want to know.”

And Peeta didn’t want to either.

 


End file.
